Page 34 - Carol LeBeau

The Wine Connoisseur

What is in a name?

By Deborah Damery Lazear, CSW

“What is in a name? That which we call a rose by any other Shiraz in honor of the Persian city where it was thought to
name would smell as sweet.” Shakespeare hail from. Now you know. The Australians continue to call it
Shiraz none the less. Fine, just so long as you know it is the
And so too does the viniferous grape Syrah, also know as same grape as Syrah.
Shiraz. This grape
has become the The comparison between
darling of the red Syrah and Shiraz stops at
wine drinking scene the name, however. The two
and has a special taste distinctly different. Let’s
invitation to each travel around the world to un-
and every barbeque derstand what you are picking
this summer. Even up in the store when the label
better, make it your says Shiraz or Syrah. De-
choice for the dark canter magazine says “Wher-
meat of the Thanks- ever winemakers are curious
giving turkey. Syrah/ and enterprising…Syrah is
Shiraz tastes best being planted”. What is simi-
when served at room lar is the need for some bottle
temperature. Ah, but aging. This is not a wine to
34 whose room? Let’s be consumed young.
just say that 15-20
minutes in the re- We will start with France,
frigerator will be just its native home. Syrah is
about right, assuming the one and only red grape
that you just pulled it allowed to be grown in the
out of the cupboard. Northern Rhone. Occasion-
I can guarantee that ally, it is blended with a little
a summer room of 78 white Viognier. It is the grape
degrees is too warm. of the famous Hermitage
($100+) and the Cote Rotie.
Syrah is all about The trick is that the name of
herbs and spice. The the grape is not listed on the
Society of Wine Edu- bottle! You have to know
cators study guide the region so just look for
describes it as “a Mc- Northern Rhone. Do not be
Cormick spice rack confused by the Southern
in a bottle”. Look for Rhone; those red wines can
aromas of smoke, be a blend of many grapes,
tar, toast, pepper, the most prominent being
raspberry, chocolate, Grenache. Region names
herbs, lavender, to look for include Condrieu,
spice, anise, black Cornas, Saint-Joseph, Saint-
olives, and rosemary. Peray and Chateau Grillet. It
See what they mean is said that the mistral, the dry
about a mélange! north wind that blows through
the valley, the very one that drove Van Gough crazy (myth),
The history of Syrah has been in question for some time. But keeps the grapes dry and sturdy. These wines need aging
just like the TV show, Cold Case, the origins of Syrah have from five to ten, to even twenty years. Don’t even think about
been proven with DNA studies. It is the result of a cross be- drinking them young, the experience may turn you off Syrah
tween two French vines: Dureza and Mondeuse Blanche. forever! Northern Rhone Syrahs don’t come cheap either.
The vine crossed to Australia in 1832 and was renamed
Sep/Oct2008